Friday, January 13, 2006

The 10 Question Test of Knowledge Contest

It's time for the contest!

Prizes: Five copies of my brand new book, Adventures from the Technology Underground, published by Clarkson Potter/Random House. Books will be sent directly and free of charge to winners directly from my publishers. Email names and addresses will not be collected, all privacy respected.

Here's the premise: In 1999 I was on a game show called Win Ben Stein's Money. The show format worked like this: in the first round, three contestants, (of which I was one), played each other by answering general knowledge questions in an elimination round. I made it through that round. In the second round, Ben Stein became a contestant and played the two of us remaining. I won that round and so, faced Stein in the final showdown. The final round was a head-to-head competition where Ben and I were locked in isolation booths and attempted to answer the same ten questions in 60 seconds. Ben and I tied, each answering seven of ten questions correctly, so I went home with $2350.

If you can guess which three questions I missed, and provide the correct answers, I will send you a book. If more than five people guess correctly, I will draw names. If no one guesses correctly, I will provide a hint or two each day until somebody wins.

Email your entry to bgurstelle1(at)mn(period)rr(period)c0m, or use the link in the about me section of the blog.

Please: one email per day per reader for the contest.I'm not sure how the publisher handles foreign mail, so there may be shipping charges to foreign destinations.Publisher reserves all rights and can pretty much do what they want, but I think they'll be pretty good about it.

Email your guesses as to which three questions I missed. What are the correct answers to those three?

1. Until 1970 what title was given to the head of the US Post Office Department?

2. In music notation name the vertical line drawn through the staff to mark off a measure?

3. Formed by hardened lava, what is the most abundant of the volcanic igneous rocks?

4. What children's pastime can be played "double dutch" or "criss-cross"?

5. Canada is bordered by three oceans, the Atlantic, the Pacific and what other?

6. What part of the stage in front of the proscenium is also the name of an article of clothing?

7. What is the state flower of California?

8. In the world of transportation, what do the initials S. U. V. stand for?

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About Me

Named to Wired Magazine’s Smart List, William Gurstelle is a bestselling author, registered engineer, and professional speaker. The author of Backyard Ballistics, Absinthe and Flamethrowers, and seven other books, he is recognized for his particular talent for making science and technology accessible, intriguing, and – most of all – fun to all readers and audiences. Having sold more nearly half a million books, he is one of the world’s most widely read authors on science and technology.
In addition, he is a contributing editor for Popular Mechanics and Make Magazine. He is a frequent contributor to Wired, Popular Science, and a book reviewer for the Wall Street Journal.
He has been heard on NPR’s Science Friday and Weekend Edition with Scott Simon, and has made numerous appearances on PBS, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. William and his books have been profiled in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the London Daily Telegraph, Popular Mechanics, USA Today, and scores of other newspapers and magazines